Odisha ‘top performer’ in State Startup Ranking

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has achieved the status of ‘Top Performer’ in the State Startup Ranking, as per the 4th edition conducted by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Joining Odisha in the category of ‘Top Performer’ states are Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and Telangana. Meanwhile, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu secured top awards, earning the title of ‘Best Performer’ states.

The rankings were unveiled by union Commerce and Industry minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Omkar Rai, chairman of Startup Odisha, said that the retention of the ‘Top Performer’ status in the DPIIT State Startup Rankings 2022 reflects Odisha’s steadfast commitment. He highlighted the visionary leadership of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, emphasizing the state’s dedication to not only sustaining but also enhancing the capabilities of its startup ecosystem.

Rai added that the state is in the process of formulating a new startup policy, aligning with global best practices, emphasising environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors, and actively promoting women’s entrepreneurship.

Startup Odisha has played a pivotal role in nurturing over 1,800 startups spanning various sectors such as agritech, IT, artificial intelligence, healthcare, fintech, and biotechnology. Officials from Startup Odisha have set an ambitious target to support at least 5,000 startups by the year 2025, the officials informed.